The Inaugural Class Of The Animated .GIF Hall Of Fame

Here are the the first eight members

These members were voted on by a group of BuzzFeed super users from a group of more than 20 nominees. These elite animated .GIFs are being honored for their importance to Internet culture, popularity and other criteria.

1. Help Me; I’m Poor

Inscription: When you’re feeling down in the dumps as a unemployed or underemployed member of society, Kristen Wiig is there to lift you up. This is the emotion so many of us our feeling all too often.

3. The Ultimate Photobomb

Inscription: ESPN didn’t get the shot they wanted when they cut to NBA legend David Robinson taking in a basketball game between Kansas State and Texas. Thankfully, the Internet got exactly what it needed.

4. The Mascara Tear

Inscription: This crying GIF is perfect whenever anyone is trying to communicate a broken heart. Even though LC recently admitted that the tear was slowed down in editing, the effect of the emotion is still tragic.

5. Excited Lucille Bluth

Inscription: Born out of one of the greatest television shows of all time, Arrested Development, this GIF features Jessica Walter in the role of Lucille Bluth. It’s the perfect animated GIF for moments of extreme excitement, especially that being expressed by rich white people. Bluth is one of the Internet’s most prominent excitement reaction GIFs.

6. The Fozzie Bear Face-Palm

Inscription: Everyone’s favorite stand up comedian bear demonstrates pure frustration in a way that only a puppet can. The face-palm is a classic of Internet reaction memes and this is among the greatest face-palms of all time.

7. Clapping Kane

Inscription: There is no better way to approve of something, either sincerely or sarcastically, with this lovely GIF featuring Orson Welles in his seminal role as Charles Foster Kane in 1941’s Citizen Kane. Clap it up!

8. The First .GIF That Went into Space

Inscription: This GIF is one of the least impressive in terms of wow-factor (it’s just a guy blankly looking at digital art). Yet it’s arguably the most important in terms of GIF history. Why? Because it was the first GIF that humankind sent into space.

Perhaps there intergalactic BuzzFeeders out there that can appreciate one species communicating to another with GIFs? And if the aliens do find this GIF, let’s hope that they don’t judge our taste too harshly, as humanity has created far more wondrous GIFs than this.

Congratulations!

We will see you next year for the next class of the Animated .GIF Hall of Fame.